M60 Machine Gun - History

History

The M60 machine gun began development in the late 1940s as a program for a new, lighter 7.62 mm machine gun. It was derived from German machine guns of World War II (most notably the FG 42 and the MG 42), but it contained American innovations as well. Early prototypes, notably the T52 and T161 bore a close resemblance to both the M1941 Johnson machine gun and the FG 42. The final evaluation version was designated the T161E3. It was intended to replace the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle and M1919A6 Browning machine gun in the squad automatic weapon role, and in the medium machine gun role. One of the weapons tested against it during its procurement process was the FN MAG.

The U.S. Army officially adopted the T160E3 as the M60 in 1957. It later served in the Vietnam War as a squad automatic weapon with many U.S. units. Every soldier in the rifle squad would carry an additional 200 linked rounds of ammunition for the M60, a spare barrel, or both. The up-gunned M113 armored personnel carrier ACAV added two M60 gunners beside the main .50 caliber machine gun, and the Patrol Boat, River had one in addition to two .50 cal mounts.

During the Vietnam War, the M60 received the nickname "The Pig" due to its bulky size.

In the 1980s, the M60 was partially replaced by the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon within the infantry squad. The M60 was retained in the vehicle mounted role and the general-purpose role due to its greater power and range compared to the 5.56 mm M249. In United States Marine Corps service, concerns about the M60's reliability, weight, and the high round counts of many M60s in service prompted the adoption of the M60E4 (or also known as MK43MG) to replace most original M60s in infantry units.

Starting with Ranger Battalions, the US Army began adopting and modifying M240 variants to replace their remaining M60s in the early 1990s. The M240 is several pounds heavier than the M60, and has a longer barrel and overall length, but is more reliable in use and testing. However, the M60 uses a much simpler gas system that, when care is taken during reassembly, is easier to clean. This advantage is obviated by the fact that the gas tube is wired shut with lockwire to prevent the weapon from disassembling itself due to vibration in hard use.

The M60 continues to be used in the 21st century by U.S. Navy SEALs and as a door gun on U.S. Army helicopters, and was the main 7.62 mm machine gun by some U.S. special operations forces to the late 1990s. As of 2005, it is used by the Coast Guard, Navy, and some reserve units, though it is being phased out in favor of the M240 7.62 mm medium machine gun. Its use as an Army helicopter door gun will soon taper off, as an improved M240 version has been adopted for this role.